Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
Africa
Europe, Asia
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Thodopuza, Red streaked, Alleppey
Number of Varieties
730
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
Loamy soils, Tropical Forests, Tropical regions, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-117-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
9-1
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm50.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm100.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
Tan, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Long Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut back old stems to the ground, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, Fertilize the soil before planting, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Aphids, Leaf Hoppers, Mites, Scale, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Shallow soil
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Aphids, Caterpillar, Mites, Rabbits, Snails
Allergy
-
Abdominal distension, Blurred vision, Oral Allergy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Blood purifying, Making cosmetics, Natural Sunscreen, Remove blemishes, Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Fixes Nitrogen, Prevent weeds, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Abdominal Disease, Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Atherosclerosis, Brain disease, Carminative, Cold, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, Eczema, Liver problems, Menstrual Cramps, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms, Treatment of ulcers, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Whole plant
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as an ointment, Used as colouring in foods, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Alpine, Cutflower, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Curcuma longa
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Turmeric, Curcuma
In Hindi
purple millet
हल्दी
In German
purple millet
Kurkuma
In French
millet pourpre
curcuma
In Spanish
purple millet
Curcuma longa
In Greek
purple millet
κουρκούμη
In Portuguese
purple millet
curcuma
In Polish
purple millet
kurkuma
In Latin
purple millet
turmeric
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Zingiberales
Family
Poaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Curcuma
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Zingibereae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Zingiberoideae
Number of Species
1100
1
27800
👆🏻